A berry good crop

Strawberry farmers in Davidson County say that despite a freeze in late February, they are seeing an exceptional crop of berries coming in much earlier than normal.

John Hedgecock, owner of Hedgecock Strawberry Farm in Wallburg, said that although he did have some moments of panic when the freeze hit, he has seen a very good crop this year.

“It got hot in January and February, so they came in earlier,” Hedgecock said. “Then when the freeze hit, it slowed them down a little. … We actually got through the cold weather better than I expected. I thought we had lost more than we actually did.”

Thomas Penninger, owner of High Rock Nursery in Southmont, said they began picking earlier than usual and despite the setback earlier in the season, they too have seen a very healthy crop.

“Picking is well underway,” Penninger said. “We started the last day of March which is almost a month earlier than usual. … The first couple of weeks were a little slow; it was kind of sporadic. But since then, what we have been seeing is some exceptional strawberries.”

North Carolina is the fourth-largest producer of strawberries in the nation, and the crop generated more than $23 million in farm income in 2015.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a news release it has been an unusual strawberry season in North Carolina.

“Thanks to a warm February, many growers were picking at least two weeks ahead of schedule. Then the state had freezing temperatures in March, which put production on hold. It takes 30 days or more for a blossom to turn into a berry. Now that we are past the last freeze, more strawberries are about ready for picking, and consumers should expect a strong crop through the end of May.”

Growers in Davidson County warn consumers that because of the warm weather in early January and February, the berries are coming in fast, and the normally short season will be shorter than usual.

Hedgecock said they have been picking berries for over a week and have seen a surplus.

“They are coming in really strong and really fast,” Hedgecock said. “All seasons are a little different, but this one has definitely been unusual. I was worried at first, but now we have gobs of berries, and we really need customers to come out and pick them.”

Hedgecock Farm is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Penninger said he won’t be able to tell for sure how many berries he lost this year due to the freeze in February. He said the main thing people need to be aware of is that the season is well underway

“People need to go ahead and come out because it is going to be an early season,” Penninger said. “If they wait until mid-May, they may be surprised to see we are nearing the end of the season instead of being in the high season.”

High Rock Nursery is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

More information about the strawberry industry is available at www.ncstrawberry.com. Anyone interested in finding a pick-your-own strawberry farm can go to www.ncfarmfresh.com.

Sharon Myers can be reached at (336) 249-3981, ext. 228, or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow Sharon on Twitter: @LexDispatchSM